EPISODE DESCRIPTIONS

SERIES 1 | 2 | 3 | Xmas Special

SERIES 1
* Number in parentheses at end of program description is BBCWA library tape number.

1. PERSONNEL - Gareth Blackstock is the executive chef at Le Chateau Anglais, and he is infuriated when management cuts his budget. He is one up on the budget when Everton shows up and volunteers his service as sous chef for no compensation in order that he can train in the most famous kitchen in England. (1)

2. BEYOND THE PASS - Gareth and wife Janice are presented the opportunity to purchase Le Chateau Anglais. Unfortunately, to achieve this he must first face the bank manager. This is no easy task for someone with a pathological hatred of bank managers (2)

3. SUBJECT TO CONTRACT - To raise the profile of his restaurant, Gareth opens his kitchen to the press. But Everton has lost track of something very personal and rather unpleasant in the veal stew. Or was it in the pies? Or the ravioli? (3)

4. THE BIG CHEESE - Gareth is thrown into a panic when revered French chef Albert Roux reserves a table for lunch. Gareth goes in search of the perfect unpasteurized English Stilton. But beware the cheese police! (4)

5. FAME IS THE SPUR - Janice arranges for Gareth and Le Chateau to be featured in the television food program, Kitchens Live. The producer has a few surprises in store for Gareth, and Everton manages to release 50 pounds of live crayfish in the kitchen. (5)

6. RICE AND PEAS - Gareth has promised his father a Caribbean evening at Le Chateau. The trouble is, he knows nothing of Caribbean cuisine. Gareth must endure the ultimate indignity of requesting Everton's assistance in the matter. (6)

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SERIES 2
1. A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT - The Kitchen staff at Le Chateau are overwhelmed, and Gareth simply must find another chef as soon as possible. Gustave Laroche, a one time culinary legend, is available, but why is he working at a third rate dive? (7)

2. TIME FLIES - Gareth is in for the shock of his life. Janice tells him there may soon be the pitter patter of tiny feet around Le Chateau. Can he adjust to fatherhood when he has the all consuming task of creating perfect food at the restaurant? (8)

3. DO THE RIGHT THING - In search of the best raw materials for preparation, Gareth and Everton go in search of a dodgy old geezer who offers partridge. But the long arm of the law is quickly in pursuit. Will Gareth land in the soup? (9)

4. A DIPLOMA OF MISERIES - Publicity shy Gareth is hounded by Janice to appear on a chat show, but she soon wishes she had never bothered. When Gareth bad mouths Janice's cooking to the television audience, he might as well book in with Everton at the latter's new flat. (10)

5. MASTERCHEF - Everton has created his own signature dish, which provokes Gareth's anger. Everton is achieving some notoriety of his own, which provokes Gareth's anger even more. Perhaps Everton should consider leaving to avoid his boss's now considerable wrath. (11)

6. PRIVATE LIVES - All the staff seem to have brought their troubles to work, leaving Gareth in a stew. With the restaurant fully booked for lunch and dinner, he reluctantly plays social worker in order to get them all back on the job. (12)

7. ENGLAND EXPECTS - Gareth will be flying the flag for Britain as he is invited to an international cookery exhibition. He, Everton and the staff morons (waiters) troop to Lyon where Gareth will settle for nothing short of being named the number one chef. (13)

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SERIES 3
1. What changes at La Chateau Anglais! Gareth has to transfer ownership of the restaurant to a loud mouth name Cyril. Savanna is a new American chef in his kitchen. Janice really turns Gareth's life around when she decides Gareth loves the restaurant more than her and leaves him. (14)

2. Cyril, new owner of La Chateau Anglais, has a horribly spoiled daughter, Rene. He forces Gareth to give her employment in the kitchen and disaster looms quickly. Everton is smitten by Rene and will do anything to keep her from being removed from her position. (15)

3. Cyril has made a policy decision that Gareth should mingle and chat with the diners at La Chateau Anglais. This is decidedly not what Gareth would prefer. He is still trying to salvage his marriage with Janice but continues to find the going very tough. (16)

4. Gareth only thought that things had been rough to this point. He now finds that his father is about to make a reappearance in his life. Cyril hires a private detective to seek out the "love interest" an older man is showing in Rene. (17)

5. Gareth's life is about to undergo yet more change as school day flame, Rochelle, makes an appearance at La Chateau Anglais. A romantic evening between Gareth and Rochelle is interrupted by Janice, who has some very surprising news to share with them. (18)

6. Gareth is at a cross road. He must decide whether to accept Rochelle's invitation to join her in Paris for the weekend or to fly off to Jamaica and try to patch things up with Janice. Another little problems exists in his trying to convince Savanna to take charge of the kitchen in his absence. (19)

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CHRISTMAS SPECIAL 1993

A BIRD IN THE HAND - It is holiday time at Le Chateau Anglais and Janice leads Gareth on a wild turkey chase in search of the perfect Christmas fare.